Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-23
RECORD-UNI0iS
CHILDREN's BOOKS.

There has been no such progress IL any
other art as that of book-making, and there
is no season of the year that gives us more
forcibIe proof of the fact than in the holi-
DAYS Our grandfathers had scant shelves
from which to select books OF elegance and
high art. Their children were pleased
enough to receive a rudely-printed primer
with coarsely-cut illustrations, in which
the printer We'd with the engrayer in the
production of uncouth results. But at
this dav art lavishes her choicest gifts
upon the book-maker. He has at CON-
mand such a marvellous wealth Of material,
and his resources are 50 unbounded that a
little contemplation of the subject results
in amusement that IN so brief a time such
gigantic strides could be made by printer
and engrayer.
The youth of 'this day are given access
to literature that commands the best
ability of the most skilled, thoughtful and
broadIy-informed men and women of the
age, The very inner temples Of art send
down their high priests to illuminate and
adorn pages for children, and the colorist
and engrayer rival each other IN their eff
forts to beautify the volumes prepared for
the boys and girls of to-day. 1t amazes
one to 60 through the book stock of the
season and take note of the lavish expen-
diture made by publishers TO provide at
Il. !
one concludes that if Young America is not
pleased with what is being done to instruct
him and cultivate his tastes and please his
fancy in the book line, he is hoplessly stu
pid.
And books are better for boys and eirls
than toys; just as tools are better for them
than mere playthings. There must be some
ofthe latter, and the child with no desire for
them is in bad way, bat the burden upon
the purse for childrens gifts ought to be
the book bill. One can scarcely go wrong
in choosing. For the publishers have en-
kindled such hot competition between
themselves, that about all the weak and
trashy books have disappeared, along with
the goody woody and sickly sentimental
literature that at one time was deemed
the only intellectual food that should in
printed pages be set before oar boys and
girls. Really trashy juvenile literature is
suffering the fate of the unfit and will not
survive the march of book progress
Parents owe thanks to the publishers they
cannot easily repay, except perhaps by
buying all they produce. For the modern
publisher, in order to outstrip his rival,
has reached plane Of excellence as re-
suit of competition, that has given to the
youth Of the land book wealth and worth
that is simply incalculable. There is to-
day, as a matter of fact, some millions of
dollars annually expended in this country
in printing, painting, engraving and bind
ing for the books of children, and some
additional millions for the text of the
books; and it is paid to scientists, artists,
philosophers historians, theologieans,
travellers, mechanics, lawyers, physicians,
linguists, and the princes of fiction to pro-
duce the very highest possible degree of
instructive entertainment in books and
magazines and papers, for children.
1t cannot be that all this effort is to be
fruitless, or fail to give Us better results
in young manhood and young woman
hood. There mus follow such
achievements in juvenile booll-making and
selling, Unreasonable good. Not all the
seed sown falls in stony places; and
though the weeds and tares of impure
literature are thick, and choke so much of
the corn and wheat, still there comes the
ripe ear and filled head of grain out of
vast fertile fields. And these constantly
expand, let it be kept in mind the good
books are choking the weedy ones, and
vicious booll-making, before the assaults of
pure juvenile literature and the organized
labors of the enemies of vice, is confessing
discontinue. If we had no other reason
to be thankful for the coming holiday sea-
son; if there were no other causes for 10y
funess in these latter days of the year.
there is enough for rejoicing in the fact
that it floods the continent with mag
nifcent literature for the youth of the
land